Ken Herman, San Diego Story, 14th June 2019
“Haydn’s Symphony No. 49 in F Minor, “La passione,” speaks the language of spiritual drama rather than Mozart’s realm of social and class drama. Especially in the symphony’s expansive slow opening movement, Francis discovered the power of understatement, and the orchestra responded with its most compelling sonority of the evening, shimmering yet tightly focused as it floated though the hall. Even the fiery second movement, Allegro di molto, retained this beauty and sonic unity, and the sense of confident exultation in the final movement was indeed thrilling.”
